Country Living in My Past
by Renkhal
Summary: This is a story that sort of delves into my own version of "before Juuban" Makoto but takes place in the "present"... It will probably get a little OOC with Makoto, but for the sake of the story it may need to.
1. 第1章

**Hey there!**

**This is the first Sailor Moon fanfiction I've had the courage to type and post. It's my second story here, but I write under another name in another category. It helps keep me separated, the two of me that are warring over which anime is my favorite - Inuyasha or Sailor Moon. Right now Sailor Moon is winning, but Inuyasha is the one with a whole section of my wall claimed...**

**Anyway, I'm sure you're bored with what I'm saying now...**

**Notice: This is a girl X girl style fanfiction. If you're homophobic or can't stand lesbians, then you may or may not wish to continue. It's all up to you!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon... but Kari is my own character.  
**

* * *

Hikawa Shrine – 3 pm

Four of the senshi were sitting around the low table, their school books and homework sheets littering it's surface. Rei was diligently working on her readings for her history class, and Ami was explaining chemistry formulas to Minako. Usagi was seemingly engrossed in her English textbook, but by now the others had learned that she would never be that interested in her homework, but they had given up in yelling at her for reading a manga instead of studying. Besides, it was the first day of their summer break. There would be plenty of time to scold her later when they had the next study time. None of them would have started their summer homework, were it not for the fact that they were so used to this pattern.

But, there was a single issue with the whole picture – Makoto wasn't there. And for once, no one knew where she was, including Ami and Minako, who were the closest to her out of the group of them.

"All right, we've been at this for over an hour. Where the hell is she?" Rei finally asked, voicing the question going through everyone's head. "Do you think we should call her?"

Usagi looked up at the fire senshi and frowned. "You know, that may be a good plan. Why didn't we do that to start with?"

"Probably because we thought she ran home to pick up snacks," Minako pointed out. "And we know that she's the most reliable out of all of us when it comes to calling at the first sign of trouble, so that's out."

"She also calls when she's going to be late, or if she can't be present," Rei countered.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door slid open to reveal a flushed Makoto. Behind her stood another young woman about a head shorter than the thunder senshi.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late. I ran home to pick up the brownies I made last night, and found Kari standing outside, and, well… I guess I forgot until about fifteen minutes ago," she explained sheepishly. "Kari, these are my friends."

Introductions were made quickly, and the two newcomers sat down, their closeness not missed by the others in the room. Minako watched Ami take in their proximity to each other and reach her own conclusions, and then turn to the formulas again half-heartedly.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Minako asked Makoto, genuinely curious but also trying to scope out whether suspicions were true or not.

"Her mom was really close to my mom, back in high school and college. I lived with her grandparents for the longest time after… Well, anyway, we kept in touch after I left, and stayed friends even after all these years of separation."

"Was this… before or after your sempai?"

Makoto blushed, and looked at her hands.

"Well, Sempai was at the middle school I went to after leaving," she admitted quietly. Minako rose an eyebrow.

"So, Kari, any reason why you're in town?" Rei asked, catching on to what Minako was doing. She, too, had noticed Ami's evasion.

"I was coming to exam Tokyo University, and remembered that Makoto lived nearby, so I decided to drop by," the visitor answered strongly. Her eyes caught Rei's, as though challenging her. Makoto busied herself with setting out the brownies, the smell catching Usagi's attention away from this new presence.

"Oooh! Makoto, they look so delicious!!" Usagi exclaimed, tossing aside the textbook and manga to stare at the brownies.

Makoto laughed and shook her head. "They're edible, Usagi. Help yourself! They're the double chocolate chip, your favorite."

"Really? Thank you, Mako!!" Usagi grabbed two brownies and proceeded to bite into one. "Ooh! So delicious! Thank you, Mako!"

Everyone chuckled, also helping themselves.

"With cooking like this, why go to cooking school?" Minako asked Makoto.

"I want my own restaurant, remember? I need to go to school to get the proper training. Besides, there's still so much I can learn. I'm nowhere near as good as my mom used to be," Makoto admitted.

The room went silent as the senshi looked at their friend. This was the first time she had ever told them anything about her parents. Sure, she's mentioned them before, alluding to the fact that she had parents, but then she'd get all solemn and change the subject.

"Your mom cooked too?" Usagi asked. "Is she the one that taught you so much?"

Makoto tensed up, and Kari put a hand on hers. Makoto looked at it, and then forced herself to relax.

"She… did teach me some things, but… Living on my own helped, a lot. I had to learn, and I did everything I could to take care of myself. It wasn't until, Sempai… that I really chose to… really cook," Makoto admitted slowly, sadness etched into her voice. Kari took her hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Makoto squeezed back, and then pulled her hand away, glancing at Ami for a split second.

However, that glance didn't go unnoticed by the senshi of love, and it surprised her. Did Makoto have feelings for Ami as well? If she did, then why did she seem so intimate with this other girl from her past?

"Anyway, Kari's campus tour is tomorrow, and after that I'm headed for the country. Her grandparents have invited me, and they said you guys could come too if you wanted. There's plenty of room in the guesthouse for all of us, so we don't have to be in the main house. They wanted to see me, and I wouldn't mind visiting them… And I figured it'd give us a real vacation away from home, together," Makoto told the group.

"Sounds like fun, I'd love to go!" Usagi said.

The others voiced their agreement with the princess, all except for Ami, and Makoto noticed.

"Ami?" she said softly, pulling the girl from her thoughts. "Will you be going too?"

"Huh? Oh, well… I'd have to discuss it with my mother, of course, but… I'll probably be able to accompany everyone."

Makoto grinned. "Good. I want to have a great break with _all_ my friends. Especially when… Well, my past is there, you know? I… I really want to share it with you too."

Ami smiled and nodded. "I wouldn't miss it, Mako."

Minako grinned inwardly, knowing the two were unaware that she was listening. However, she saw Kari frown at the two, her shoulders slumped a little. The senshi was sure that this girl had feelings for Makoto, and that she felt a little left out of the loop with this little exchange, but she couldn't help but feel a little satisfied in the initiative Makoto took despite her friend's presence. Sure, Kari was probably a nice girl and all, but Ami was her friend, and she didn't want her to be unhappy because Makoto chose another girl from her past.

The next couple of weeks was going to be interesting…

* * *

**There's chapter one. If I can get... well, at least two reviews for the first chapter, I'll post the second. But I'll be expecting more reviews as I go along, so be ready for it!**

**Thank you!  
**


	2. 第2章

**Chapter Two for Your Enjoyment! Since I got my two reviews, I'm posting this chapter, and I'm going to get started on the next one!  
**

**Reminder: This is a girl X girl style fanfiction. If you're homophobic, you're definitely going to want to stop reading this soon. Just a warning.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon... but Kari and Kenji and the grandparents are mine.  
**

* * *

The passengers of the van that Kari was driving were all gaping in awe as they pulled up to a three-story white home. There was another, smaller house behind it, and a stable off to the side. Makoto had fallen asleep in the back seat, having gave up the passenger seat to Usagi because the girl had been far too excited to sit where she wouldn't get a great view of the location.

The van was parked between the two houses, and Ami nudged Makoto in the side. The sleeper woke up and groggily searched her surroundings.

"We've arrived, sleepy head!" Minako teased.

Makoto groaned and allowed herself to get out of the van and collapse in the grass, which was rather tall. "Kari, don't tell me Gramps has been getting old…"

Kari laughed and dropped Makoto's duffle on her. "He's been saving the yard work for you. There's mowing, weeding, and some gardening to do. And don't groan, you know you love it."

"That's beside the point. Right now work in general sounds horrible. I don't even think I'd want to cook, I'm so tired…"

"Why are you so tired, Mako? Stay up too late?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, all because Kari decided that we just _had_ to stay up all night, just like we used to as kids. It was a game of ours. The first to fall asleep bought ice cream the next day."

"And Mako is too competitive anymore. She used to give up about four or five in the morning and pass out, but I was the first to drop last night, after which she woke me up and proceeded to shove it in my face. It was five in the morning, and she was still wide awake, so I went to bed, and was passed out until noon when she woke me up."

"I called at nine to make sure we were leaving at two… Is that why you sounded so out of it when I called? Usually you're wide awake by nine," Minako said, kneeling by Makoto and poking her.

"I had just fallen asleep when you called…" Makoto admitted.

"Makoto…" Ami sighed.

"Well get up for another hour, sleepy head. Grams will want to see you and meet your friends before you can go collapse for a few hours before dinner," Kari said, trying to pull up her friend with Rei's help.

They walked up to the main building's front door, and Kari opened the door and walked in.

"Hey! Grams! Gramps! We're home!" she yelled. Makoto stretched and yawned, heading for the kitchen, which is where Grams exited.

"Oh, Makoto! My, have you grown! Ah, you grew out your hair!" the elderly woman exclaimed. Makoto blushed and nodded. "Well, come and give your granny a hug!"

Makoto hugged her, and was released as her Gramps walked into the room with a big grin.

"Well, if it isn't my little Makoto! And you came back with Kari on your own? I thought she'd have to drag you by the belt," he said, enveloping them both in a big bear hug. "Makoto, I left the yard work for you. Well, the gardening, anyway. I was actually planning on mowing the yard tomorrow."

"I'll do whatever you need, Gramps," Makoto said. "But it'll have to wait until tomorrow at least. I'm want to show my friend's around today."

"Of course you do!" the old man said, chuckling. "Oh, and Kenji will be coming over for dinner, so I expect you to be well-behaved. You especially, Makoto, since I know you don't like him. He's grown up considerably over the years, and I'm sure even you'd be impressed. He seemed very excited to know you'd be visiting."

Makoto shrugged and stepped away from him to go to her friends. There were more introductions, and then Kari went off on her own while Makoto showed her friends around the property. There was a pool house, a stable with many horses, the guest house, a small lake (or large pond, whichever you prefer), a recreational room in the house, a small theatre in the house with a projection hooked up to a DVD player and a screen on the wall opposite, the large and rather full library up on a third floor with only another bathroom on that floor, and there was the garage with cars that would make Haruka drool with envy. However, it was one of the motorcycles that Makoto stopped at to run her fingers over fondly.

"This was mine, before I left. I never got a chance to ride it, and I may never… But it's still mine. I fixed it myself. Well, with the help of Gramps…" Rei chuckled, and Makoto scowled. "Okay, so more like Gramps fixed it and I helped a little, but that's not the point…"

"It's gorgeous!" Minako exclaimed. It was a forest green color with a white lightning bolt down each side. Then, slyly, she added, "Funny how it reminds us of our very own Jupiter, eh?"

The group laughed at that, and Makoto led them away from the garage.

"Well, we have about three hours before dinner. I'm going to go sleep for a couple hours. You guys are free to go on your own. Enjoy yourselves," Makoto said. She started for the guesthouse.

"You could go with her, Ami," Minako whispered, noticing Ami watching Makoto walking away, probably thinking her glances weren't very noticeable. Of course, for the Goddess of Love, Minako thought, there are no such things as sly, secret love glances!

"But… Well, she's really tired. I don't want her to miss on sleep just because I'm there," Ami responded.

"She won't. Ask if she's like to nap on the couch and just be there while you watch a movie or something, so you don't feel alone. I'm going to go with Rei and Usagi, and I think we're going to the rec room."

"Well, in that case…" Ami said, knowing that if she didn't agree Minako would find some other reason for her to go with the tall brunette. It helped that Ami didn't really care for video games. Minako grinned triumphantly, and ran off with Rei and Usagi. Ami hurried to catch up to Makoto.

"Hey, Ami."

"Hey."

"Say, you wouldn't mind watching a movie with me, do you? I don't want to go to sleep on a bed, with as tired as I am, but I don't really want to just lay down on the couch without a reason for it… And I don't particularly want to watch a movie by myself."

Ami nodded, surprised with the turn of events. She was afraid Makoto would tell her to go ahead and enjoy herself, and remind her of the library her grandmother had up on the third floor. Of course, the genius would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by it, but... Well, books can only occupy a person for so long before life becomes boring and meaningless. And for Ami, Makoto was who she wanted to occupy her.

But first, she had to gain the courage to tell the brunette, and courage was Makoto's field...

* * *

**I hope it's okay... I had a bout of inspiration immediately after typing the first chapter and pulled this together, but didn't want to post it until I knew that at least someone enjoyed it.**

**I don't think I mentioned this in the first chapter, but I wanted to clarify - the Senshi are at least age 19/20/21. Haven't really had the need to specify yet, but I think they're going to end up being 21. We'll find out in a few chapters, depending on whether I do this one thing I want to do or not...  
**

**But, anyway...**

**I need... I don't know... five more reviews? Yeah, five additional reviews! Or less if I really feel like it, and get the next chapter done... I only had this done because I was typing it out of the blue with the other chapter. Usually I hand write and then type, but I didn't have a notebook that day, just my laptop...**

**Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can! In fact - I think I'll start plotting now... Mwahaha!  
**

**Thank you!  
**


	3. 第3章

**Here's chapter 3! Whoo!**

**I'm tired. I've had minimal sleep for the past three or four days, and randomly decided I wanted to type this up. I had an amazing kick in the ass with inspiration, and decided to play with Microsoft Word and the random pieces of scattered inspiration racked in my brain right now.**

**And thus, chapter 3 was born!**

**I wasn't going to post it right away, because I want to get more people to find it an review it, but I figure if I keep updating then more people will find it faster and read it!**

**But then, the title is pretty dull and very last-minute... I always have trouble with names. Hm... I don't know, it's still early, so maybe I'll change things up a bit before I get too far along... But I'm also lazy, so I don't think I'll change it...  
**

**And just to be safe and lazy, I own nothing! Except Kari, in this chapter...  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Makoto let Ami choose the movie, since she was planning on falling asleep anyway, and so Ami picked a random DVD from the selection on the small bookshelf beside the TV and put it in. Makoto had found Ami's bag and set it by the coffee table, figuring the DVD would just be background anyway and that the other girl would just end up reading a book anyway.

Makoto envied Ami's ability to sit still and read a book from start to finish in a short amount of time. It took her some time, depending on the book, to get all the way through it, and every once in a while she'd have to go back and reread something that she misread or thought she misread because of later pages. However, she also knew that Ami had always been shy and left to herself growing up, partly because she did prefer a book, and it didn't bother her one bit. In fact, it amused Makoto to watch Ami read. Her facial expressions would change according to the information given to her from the pages, and if a scene is particularly sad, there have even been tears well up in Ami's eyes.

Ami sat down on the large chair and, just as Makoto figured she would, she pulled out her book and set it on the coffee table. Makoto sat on the couch and shifted.

"Ami? Um…" Makoto had to consider her words carefully. She could just go get a pillow and lay out on the couch, and she knew Ami would think of it, but Makoto still remembered falling asleep in the van and leaning on Ami, and she remembered feeling so calm being so close to her.

"What's wrong Mako?" Ami asked, her heart racing. Was Makoto going to ask what she thought she was going to ask?

Makoto shifted again and looked at the hands in her lap. "Well, I wanted to know if you'd sit with me, and uh…"

Ami giggled a little at the other girl's blush and shy request, standing and walking over to the couch. Makoto watched her, and was surprised when Ami motioned for her to lay on her lap with a gentle smile.

"I don't mind. The couch gets better lighting anyway," Ami said, trying to ease Makoto's embarrassment by producing an excuse that sounded reasonable. Makoto chuckled and laid down.

Unknown to them, three pairs of eyes were peeking through the window, which was cracked open a little at the bottom so that they could hear what was being said.

"Wow, I never thought Makoto'd make the first move," Rei mumbled.

"I can't believe they really aren't together!" Usagi exclaimed quietly. The other two sent her a silent glare, still upset that their princess had known all along about the feelings that Ami and Makoto were still trying to deny. "What? With all the time they spend together, with Ami going over every other night for dinner when her mom's at the hospital late and Makoto always asking her to help her on her math, and she was usually helping me with the lesson during class… Well, I always thought it was obvious."

"She's been asking Ami to help her with homework she already knew how to do?" Rei asked, incredulous.

"Wow. And here I thought I was just gonna have to help Makoto realize she had feelings for Ami. I never realized she had them and was doing something about it already," Minako mumbled. "I guess so much for being the Goddess of Love, eh?"

"You're still the Goddess of Love, Minako," Usagi assured her. "You still have to help Rei find her true love, and yours too!"

"I don't think I can find my own love," Minako said with a nervous laugh.

"And I have no need or use for love, so I'm out of the question!" Rei grumbled.

The three peeked back inside, and noticed that Makoto had her eyes closed, and Ami was massaging her scalp with one hand, while the other was holding up the book that she had set out. The smile on Makoto's face was not lost on the three either.

"Well, shall we go entertain ourselves elsewhere?" Minako asked. "I think we've done all we can do here for now."

"Yeah, let's go," Rei agreed. "Come on, Usagi."

They, quietly, walked back to the house, and went to the rec room.

An hour later, Kari walked up to the guesthouse and knocked. Loudly.

"Come in!" Ami called gently, trying not to jostle Makoto from sleep.

The door opened and Kari came in. She saw Makoto and frowned, not liking where this was going one bit.

"Kenji will be here soon," Kari said, not bothering to lower her voice. It was all Makoto's fault; she shouldn't be laying on another girl when Kari was still waiting for the brunette to give her an answer. "Makoto said she wanted to have dinner started before he got here. I just got off the phone with him."

That wasn't all true. Makoto would get up and cook when she got that far, and Kari knew it. She just couldn't stand the sight in front of her. It made her boil inside, knowing that this girl not only saw _her_ Mako every day, but she also had the guts to try and steal her away too!

Ami didn't know any of this, of course. Instead, she looked at Makoto and gently shook her. Makoto just groaned a little and shifted to get comfortable again.

"Mako, Kari said Kenji's on his way. Don't you want to get dinner started?"

"Un… Five more jalopies and I'll walk, all right? Just stop pushin'…" Makoto mumbled sleepily. "Ami, you should read more hentai. Your speeches are too, mmm… You smell good…"

_(A/N: Jalopies are old, decrepit vehicles. I know when I'm half asleep and writing I tend to write some crazy shit, so I wanted to incorporate that sort of disconnected feel with Makoto and this scene. Of course, it was a great way to cause an embarrassing moment for Ami as well, and with Kari there… hehehe!)_

Kari was fuming, and Ami was blushing a new shade of red. Makoto sat up slowly, yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I don't know about you, Ames, but I'm getting hungry. What say you to finding something to cook for dinner?" Makoto asked, standing and stretching.

"What a great idea!" Kari exclaimed, jumping in and grabbing Makoto's arm. "I'll even help! I'm sure Ami was enjoying her book; I'd hate to pull her away…"

"Well, if she wants to read she will! Who are you to decide to pull her away or not?" Makoto asked, still not awake and slightly confused by her friend's behavior. "And why are you hangin' onto me like you're my girlfriend or something? I already told you, I'm not interested!"

Ami froze. She's not interested? Does that mean she's not into girls at all? She felt a sharp pain in her chest, and decided that her heart was indeed breaking. She had been wasting her time trying to win Makoto's heart after all…

"It's fine, Makoto. She's right; this book is getting rather interesting. I think I'll… just sit here and read a little more. Just have one of the others come get me later."

Makoto studied the blue-haired beauty and saw her settle back in with her book, ignoring them again. She had been making so much progress earlier, too… What happened? Makoto's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she slipped her arm from Kari's grasp.

"I will," Makoto told Ami, slipping her shoes on and leaving, followed by Kari. Ami waited a few minutes, and then tossed the book on the table before drawing up her knees and burying her face to hide the tears.

* * *

**Whoo! There you go.**

**What, you disappointed? Well, I couldn't just put them together from the start! I'd like to tease and play and insert before I do it!**

**That sounded so dirty. But I like it, so it's staying.  
**

**I just realized how very mild this is for an "M" rating... and since I'm sure "M" is not for "Mild", I may change the rating to "T" until I do get into some more mature situations. That is, _if_ I get into mature situations... Which would be great, since I'm feeling a little down and could use some - **

**SFX: brake screeching to a halt  
**

**Okay, wrong Train of Thought... Wow. I would delete that, except it's funny and I like it. And I'm lazy and don't want to stretch my pinky that far for the amount of time it would take to delete all this that I have just typed, and I don't feel like hightlighting because that means I'd have to take my hands from the keyboard to reach my mouse...**

**Yeah. Total laziness. Or sleep deprivation... Either one works... Yeah.**

**Anyway, I had a question I wanted to offer you, as my readers, because this is for your enjoyment. And just because I ask doesn't mean that I won't go ahead and do this or not do this, I'm just getting some opinions. But I'm introducing Kenji in the next chapter, and I had a strange thought that's been plaguing me since I brought him up in chapter 1.**

**Question: **Should Kenji and Makoto be promised to each other from infancy by their fathers because they thought it'd be great to combine the families?

**Or something like that. As I said, this could be changed in some way or another. Like, they could have promised the children to marriage because they both were afraid that the two wouldn't get married or something and they needed to continue the family line. You know, whatever I feel like throwing together. The whole question came up purely because I felt like adding more fun! and I wanted to cause some craziness for Makoto. I think she may have... Wait, why should I tell you about Makoto's "before" life if I'm supposed to be writing it??**

**I think the bold is almost overpowering the story...  
**

**Anyway, now that I've brought that up, put the chapter up... Hm, am I missing anything else?**

**Oh yeah! I want to be at nine reviews before I post another chapter! (I like numbers divisible by three, okay?)  
**


	4. 第4章

**Chapter 4 on the go!**

**Yeah, sleep deprivation is great! Haha!**

**Anyway, I don't own anything! Except... Kari and Kenji.**

**I have a thing with "K" names I think... Huh...**

**Well, on with the story!  
**

* * *

Makoto busied herself in the kitchen easily enough, deciding on matsunabe- beef offal (look up at your own risk), Chinese cabbage and various vegetables cooked in a light soup base. She couldn't help but wonder about Ami though. They were so close, and Makoto felt like maybe she could tell her how she felt, but when Kari came in to ask about dinner she seemed to put up walls. It bugged Makoto to no end.

Minako bound in a few minutes after Makoto had all the ingredients cooking and took a long sniff of the air in the kitchen.

"Mm, Usagi's gonna love you. I hope you made enough," the blond said.

"I made enough for ten," Makoto admitted with a small chuckle. Minako studied her, suddenly realizing that Makoto wasn't as enthusiastic as usually. And she seemed a little distracted as well.

Finally Minako couldn't stand it any longer. "All right, what's wrong?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Makoto responded, looking up at her with a slightly shocked look on her face. "I'm cooking, and I'm not sure that I added enough salt… Hm, maybe I should go ahead and shake a couple more times…"

Minako sighed and Makoto became engrossed in her cooking for a moment while she discussed the use of salt, followed by the question of whether they wanted rice but then remembered that she had added noodles so that was a no, and finally Minako smacked her.

"What was that for?"

"Stop avoiding the question! We saw you and Ami on the couch – what happened??"

"I don't know! I fell asleep, and when I woke up Kari was there and somehow got hold of my arm without me noticing and then Ami had that wall back up and I couldn't do anything about it…"

"Wall?"

"Yeah, you know, when she seems like she's with us but not really _with_ us?"

Minako was confused, but nodded. Besides, she sort of got it. Ami was pretty distant sometimes, so that was probably what Makoto was referring too.

"Well, when we got to the guest house she seemed to open up and it helped me gain the courage to… You saw. You know what I'm talking about," Makoto finished, blushing.

"Yeah, I saw. You're right."

"What should I do?"

"Do you like her?"

Makoto's blush deepened and she nodded.

"Well, then you should tell her."

Before Makoto could say anything else, the door bell went off and Makoto had to go answer it. She reduced the heat on the matsunabe, since she knew better than to ask Minako to watch over it, and went to answer the door. She opened it up wide and glared.

"Well, Mako, it's good to see you too!" the young man on the other side of the threshold said cheerfully when he noticed the taller girl's glare. "I was honestly expecting Kari to answer it and start telling me you two were finally dating or something."

"Well, she's not answering, I am. And I'm not interested, and I've told her that," Makoto grumbled, letting him in. He removed his shoes and walked into the living room. "Minako, this is Kenji. Kenji, this is one of my friends, Minako."

"It's very nice to meet you," Kenji said, stepping close to Minako and kissing the top of her hand. Minako giggled and took back her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, except I would have to ask what your motives are in flirting with me."

"Why, is it not proper to express oneself to such a beautiful woman?"

Makoto coughed, and Minako could have sworn she heard "bullshit" in the midst of the cough, but she pretended that it was just her imagination.

Rei walked into the room with Usagi and nudged their princess to call her attention to the two standing in the middle of the room. Makoto saw them, grinned and rolled her eyes. Rei chuckled and led Usagi into the room.

Before Usagi could say anything about it, Rei beat her with, "Man, you two need to get a room! I don't want to watch you two having mental staring sex…"

That knocked Minako back into reality as she glared at Rei. Kenji turned and opened his mouth to introduce himself to the other beauty, but Minako interrupted him.

"We were not doing anything of the sort! He was only being a gentleman…"

"Maybe on the outside, but I can see his eyes undressing you from here!"

"Maybe that's just because you watch too much hentai!"

"I don't watch - ! I'm an innocent Shinto priestess, I don't watch hentai!"

Usagi was getting bored with this, since it happened so much, and began to look around the room.

"Where's Ami and Kari?" she asked suddenly, catching everyone's attention. Makoto just shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.

"What's her problem?" Rei asked Minako, keeping the conversation between the two of them.

"Ami was open with her, and then she wasn't, and Makoto doesn't understand what happened," Minako explained. "At least, that's all I could understand and interpret from Mako's explanation."

Rei just nodded and frowned.

Meanwhile…

_(A/N: Okay, I just had to do it. I mean, you see the old Super Friends cartoons, or any other superhero show, and the narrator will come out with a "meanwhile…" statement just before they go from one character to another, and I just decided that I wanted to do it too!)_

Ami had finally calmed down, and even managed to shower to waste time since she wasn't in the mood to read anymore. She had redressed and walked into the living room to find Kari sitting on the couch.

"Kari? Did you need something?" Ami asked sadly.

Kari stood and turned to the other girl. "Yeah. Stop interfering with me and Makoto. It's all your fault she refused me, I'm sure of it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Just leave Mako alone, okay?"

That said, Kari just turned and left, leaving Ami behind to interpret what she had just said.

Ami, storing the conversation in the back of her mind for later evaluation, decided she put off seeing Makoto long enough and started for the main house.

"Kenji, why do you always have to be such a philanderer?" Makoto snapped. "You apologize to them, now!"

"But, Mako, you know you're the only one-"

"Shut it, and apologize. Honestly, I figured you'd have grown up in three years at least!"

"Mako, this is Kenji. He'll never grow up," Kari pointed out. Ami walked into the living room, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Ami!" Usagi cried out, running to her friend. Ami, however, was momentarily distracted as she glanced past Makoto- after trying to study the brunette's expression- and saw Kari smirking at her from her place beside Makoto, hugging the taller girl's arm. Ami could feel her heart cracking even more as she realized Makoto was letting Kari, and she forced herself to focus on Usagi's positive energy.

"Dinner's ready, if you guys are," Makoto said, pulling away from Kari and going to the kitchen.

Ami watched her leave, followed by Usagi, Kari, and Kenji, and turned to Minako, who just sighed.

"She was all over her…" Ami whispered, "and she didn't pull away."

"It's okay, Ami, I'm sure we'll all find out that we're missing something soon, just you wait," Rei said, trying to cheer her up.

Minako put and arm around Ami and hugged her close. "Rei and I are on your side, Ami. Kari has just declared a battle of Love against you, and you're going to win. After all, who better to help fight a battle of Love than the Senshi of Love herself! And Rei's the Senshi of War or something, right? So the battle part's covered too!"

Ami smiled a little at that, and hugged both of her friends.

"What do you say about answering her challenge, then, eh?" Rei smirked, an mischievous glint in her eyes.

Ami's smile grew as she agreed.

This was a fight for her love, and Makoto was worth it.

* * *

**I decided that the promised thing was in fact corny, and I'm never allowed to seriously consider an idea between midnight and ten in the morning. ****That was when I thought of that last night. ****And the couple of readers that I have reviewing my work didn't like it, and I trust their judgement. I'd hate to lose them... I have so few reviewers as it is... =[  
**

**I still didn't develop Kenji the way I wanted to, but by the time he came into the game, I was ready to add more to the Ami vs Kari gig I had going. There's still another side of him that will be revealed in the next chapter anyway.**

**I'm trying really hard to keep the other characters involved too. But the "Battle of Love" angle is going to help...**

**I tend to ramble a lot don't I? Hm...  
**

**The next chapter should be fun though! I'm already plotting, and that's never good! But at least it'll prove that I was right to keep the "M" rating, and the next chapter is why I think everyone is 21. I mean, unless... Well, I'm not going into it now because that might ruin it for you!**

**Anyway, I'm giving up on asking for a certain amount of reviews because I'm just going to post whenever I feel like it anyway so it's just pointless.**

**I'm also aiming to avoid typing so much bold as I go along, though I think that I failed today...  
**

**Thank you!  
**


	5. 第5章

**Chapter 5!**

**I don't own anything, except for Kari, Kenji, and the name of the club, _Moonlight_.**

**Well, actually, I technically don't own that, either, since I borrowed the name from the theme song...**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

After dinner the group sat around the living room, Makoto sitting between Ami and Kari, and Kenji openly flirting with Minako and Rei, while Usagi busied herself with a manga of Rei's. Suddenly Makoto jumped up.

"I know! Let's go to _Moonlight_!" she exclaimed.

Kenji jumped up with her, punching a fist into the air, yelling, "Yeah! Maybe Suki will give us a discount with you there!"

Makoto and Kari glared at him while the others looked up in confusion.

"It's this club in town. The owner used to own a restaurant before, and Makoto helped in the kitchens. When Suki decided she wanted to own a club instead, Makoto was able to DJ for her for a few years so she still had a job. Of course, it's a two-part club. One level, the lower level, is for ages 13-18. The teen club closes at about ten, and then it becomes all for adults and they separate into a level for any music style and dancing, and the upper level remains the bar and show room, though before ten there is dancing. Makoto was allowed in at twelve, but she only stayed for a year before she was put into foster care," Kari explained. Makoto glared at her, not really happy that so much was revealed about her in such a short time without her permission.

"Mako was in foster care?" Usagi asked, looking hurt. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"It wasn't pertinent. I ran away after a few months and started living on my own of what I earned and what my parents left me," Makoto mumbled. "I became emancipated, but the court told me I had to have some sort of guardian, so… I convinced Grams and Gramps to be my guardians while I lived in Juuban."

They were quiet for a second, and then Kenji cleared his throat.

"So… _Moonlight_?" he asked. There was a general chorus of agreement, and the group split to get ready. "Let's aim to leave in an hour, please!"

Finally, an hour and a half later (no thanks to Minako) the group reconvened in the living room.

Makoto was wearing a pair of black jeans and a green button-up silk shirt. Minako was in a peach blouse and a blue jean skirt. Rei wore a pair of blue jeans and red blouse. Ami, at Minako's insisting, put on a blue skirt and white blouse. Kenji had put on black cargo jeans and a khaki colored polo, and Kari was in khaki Capri pants and red halter top.

"Shall we go?" Kenji asked, suddenly all polite and gentlemanly.

They went to the van in a group.

* * *

**I know it was really short. I wanted to get the club part out there, and then realized after I uploaded the chapter that I had wanted to give away Kenji's secret in this chapter...**

**Well, I guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter. I'm sorry I didn't add more Mako/Ami or Ami vs. Kari into it either. But it's now almost one, and I'm tired, and I wanted to give you guys something to read tomorrow... I'll try to update with an extra long chapter tomorrow (or later today) if I get my lighting project done at a decent time.**

**I'm also watching the anime again. Right now I'm watching the episode where Makoto falls for Haruka, and I noticed something really funny about how Ami takes the news of Makoto going "on a date" with Haruka. She explodes and then blushes! It's really funny. At least, I thought so...**

**Anyway, night guys! And girls! And anyone else!  
**


	6. 第6章

**I'm hoping this was a little longer. I mean, I don't remember how long all of my chapters are, but I promised a rather long one, and it's after midnight and I'm pretty sure I started falling asleep a couple times as I finished this... I hope nothing came out all awkward. I woke up once to find Makoto's dialogue filled with theatre lighting dialogue- things I might say on a normal basis. It was weird.**

**Anyway, so now that you know I may not have done nearly as good on this chapter as I might have normally...**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

The van was parked in primo parking, since it was still a little early.

"Makoto, a warning," Kenji said, pulling the tall brunette aside while the others walked ahead. Kari, and Ami, stopped for a moment until Kenji waved them on. Ami caught Makoto's eye, and only moved, albeit hesitantly, because of the smile that Makoto favored her with. Ami nodded and hurried to catch up with Rei and Minako, who were trying to settle down a way too excited Usagi.

"What's up, Kenji?"

"Well, Suki gave up on the teen club a couple years back, and, well… The club progressed, and became known as an exclusively gay club."

"So? I always figured Suki'd do better with a gay club rather than that split club anyway," Makoto said. Kenji rose an eyebrow and frowned. "What?"

"Well, I never thought that'd you be so… open? Yeah, open. Indiscriminate, or something. I don't know what the word I'm looking for is, but I never thought it'd describe you!"

Makoto felt her face warm up a little.

"What happened to your old sempai or whatever?"

Makoto looked at the door to the club. "I found someone better, who's nothing like him. I don't have anything left in- regards to feelings anyway- for him."

"That's good." Kenji thought for a moment, letting what his best friend said sink in. "So, uh, who's the mystery person? It's not Kari, is it?"

"Nah. She wants it to be, but… She's too much like a sister to me to be anything more, you know? Besides, I know you have a major crush on her. Or, at least, you used to."

"Well… Not really, exactly, anymore…" Kenji mumbled, blushing a little. "Let's go inside, eh? I'm sure Kari's found Suki and they're waiting for us impatiently now."

Makoto was confused but let Kenji pull her inside anyways.

"Makoto Kino!" a middle aged, gorgeous, dark-haired woman cried out, jumping the surprised brunette and almost causing her to lose balance. "God, have I missed you!"

"Hey, Tatsuki," Makoto muttered, blushing a little.

Tatsuki released here and smacked her arm, glaring a little. "It's 'Suki' to you, _Mako_."

"Yeah, yeah." Makoto looked around the room and frowned. "This isn't my club, Suki. Where's all the ripe, underaged children for me to corrupt?"

"I changed my mind and somehow this place turned into the hottest gay club in town!" Suki exclaimed. "Of course, it's not labeled as one, it's just known as one. I personally call it a dance club, really."

"So, Suki, all drinks on the house?" Kenji asked, coming up behind Makoto.

"I'll pay for a couple pitchers, but outside of that I guess I can give you half price on the liquor," Suki agreed. "But only because I love Makoto! Don't expect this every time you come, Kenji."

"Oh, no, I would never!" Kenji feigned innocence, and then glanced around the club. "I'm gonna go snatch that booth in the corner!"

"It's already been reserved for you," Suki told him. "It emptied out right after Kari told me Makoto was coming in, and I had a couple waitresses get it ready for you immediately. One of them is an old friend of yours from your teen club days. Remember Maruna?"

"Yeah, petite blond, hazel eyes, and kept hanging all over me. If I remember correctly, she's two or three years older than me," Makoto mumbled.

"Only two, and she's gotten a lot cuter. You should catch up."

"Not interested, Suki."

That said, Makoto (who had been getting bored of the conversation with Suki) wandered off toward the empty booth, followed by Kari and Kenji.

"Okay, Ami, I believe we've got our work cut out for us," Minako announced. "Rei, let's plan our first move and catch Makoto by surprise."

Rei rolled her eyes. Minako was taking the whole "war" half the "war on love" too seriously. The blond was still rattling on about something, so Rei sighed and turned to Ami.

"Would you like to dance?"

Makoto saw Rei take Ami's hand as Minako chatted away, and the two slowly made their way to the dance floor. The thought had never occurred to her that Rei could have a crush on Ami too, but after the afternoon earlier with Ami, it stung Makoto to think that maybe her blue-haired crush could have a thing for someone else.

Minako finally realized she was alone, and frowned, looking for the duo. Finally she found them dancing rather closely on the dance floor. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but it was due more to the fact that they were dancing than the fact that they liked each other. Besides, Rei was totally against love; Minako had been reminded of that several times when she teased the priestess about Yuuchirou.

Slowly, she glanced over at Makoto, who was watching her friends on the dance floor with an interesting expression. Kari was sitting next to her trying to get her attention, and Kenji was off flirting with one of the women nearby, who was obviously a lesbian by the way her leg was caressing the leg of the woman across from her. Sighing, Minako decided to go save him from embarrassment and walked over to ask him to dance.

Kenji was surprised that Minako wanted to dance with him, and glanced over at Kari. It hurt that she wouldn't even look twice at him, but he also knew that she'd had a crush on Makoto for years, long before he realized that he had feelings for the shorter brunette. He grinned at Minako, who's eyes were watching him with a question in their depths, and he was glad that when he offered his arm she still did not feel the need to ask him about why he had been looking at the two brunettes.

"Thank you for dancing with me, Kenji," Minako said with a gentle smile.

"Thank you for asking me," he returned. He listened to her giggle, and felt himself honestly consider her as a possible girlfriend in the near future for himself. She was gorgeous, true, and she had an amazing personality, but he had grown up learning about how Kari acted and… well, just was.

"I have a confession," Minako admitted after a moment of silence. When Kenji said nothing else, she continued. "I'm dancing because I need to figure out some way to get Makoto to dance with Ami."

"Easy. Kari will have her on the dance floor sooner or later. Just let everything ride out as it's going for now."

So they danced, and after about half an hour both couples decided they were quite tired and walked to the table, surprised to see Makoto sitting across from Kari and glaring.

"What happened?" Kenji asked.

"She won't dance with me!"

"So?" Makoto snapped. "There's very few I'd dance with. And right now, you're not one of them. Diane over in booth seventeen, now, _that's_ someone I'd dance with right now."

Makoto got up and walked over to the booth she had mentioned and started talking to the auburn haired beauty that was sitting all alone. She was gorgeous, and had bright green-yellow eyes that were just shining beautifully.

Minako caught Kenji's eye, and he nodded. "Kari, would you mind dancing with me?"

"Sure." Minako grinned as they walked off, and then she turned to Rei.

"Dance with me, Mars, please?" she begged.

"Fine! Jeez…"

Soon only Ami was left at the table. She glanced where she had last scene Makoto, and realized that another girl had shown up. However, glancing around, Ami couldn't see Makoto anywhere. It shouldn't have been very hard to find her, since she was taller than everyone.

Then she saw her, walking over with two glasses.

"Hey," Makoto said, setting down the glass. "I, uh, figured you'd want to try something a little bit harder than beer. You want to try it?"

"Yeah, sure," Ami muttered shyly. Makoto set one of the drinks across of her and sat down, sipping on her own drink.

Makoto watched Ami out of the corner of her eyes, occasionally catching the other girl to also be casually watching her as well. She grinned a little as she took another sip of her drink, and then set it down.

"Makoto, we need to talk," Ami said suddenly, setting the glance to one side and looking the taller girl straight in the eye. Makoto was thrown momentarily, but quickly came back.

"All right. What's up?"

Ami was excited. She was about to talk to Makoto, and there were no interruptions! It was perfect!"

"Mako, I-"

Kari came crashing into Makoto's side and pulled her up.

"Later, okay?" Makoto asked with an exasperated sigh. Ami tried to give her best "I'm happy" smile, but it fell short. Makoto noticed, but just as she opened her mouth to ask her, Kari was pulling her out onto the dance floor.

'I spoke too soon…' Ami thought, looking at her beverage with an exasperated sigh. She swore only one more try, and after that then she's move on if things didn't change.

She hoped they changed.

* * *

**Here it is!**

**I'm contemplating a Minako/Kenji, but I'm REALLY hoping to do a Rei/Minako if I can find some way to do it. But, in a way I also don't want to detract from the heterosexuality of Minako that had been pointed out by the anime. This will be contemplated for a few chapters, but in the meantime, Kenji will be trying to win Kari's love while also trying to get to know Minako more. However, as of right now, even _I_ don't know what will be in the next chapters. I don't know if I had honestly even planned on making this a gay club until I started to write it. It just seemed like a great addition, you know?**

**Well, anyway... I'm trying to cut down on my bold ramblings... And I'm getting tired again, so...**

**Good night and please review! (if you want to)  
**


	7. 第7章

**Here's Chapter 7 for all of you who are still reading!**

**I hope I haven't driven anyone else off already... I'm not done yet!**

**I just realized that I've been forgetting to disclaim all legal rights to Sailor Moon. I'm sure it doesn't matter, since I did for the first several chapters, but my luck someone would skip over those chapters and decide to report me or something...**

**Actually, who would skip chapters in a _story_ anyway???**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

It was three in the morning before the group left, and Minako's head was reeling. She'd been swept off her feet by Kenji for many dances, surprised by Rei's dancing ability, and had seen Ami and Makoto kept apart by the foul Demonous.

Okay, Kari. Minako supposed she owed the shorter brunette that much, since she _had_ been such good friends to Makoto growing up. But just allowing her beautiful lips to utter that name did not mean she had to like her.

More importantly, Minako had noticed how comfortable Makoto was with all the lesbians that kept asking her to dance- most of them had been old friends of hers- and hadn't corrected a few when they alluded to her own homosexuality. Unfortunately, Usagi (drunk off her ass because she had been unsupervised coming in and went to the bar immediately) had dragged Ami and Rei to the dance floor during these moments, so Ami had no idea that Makoto seemed so comfortable with the idea of being with a girl.

"What're you thinking about?" Rei asked as they changed in the bedroom that they were going to share in the guesthouse.

"Makoto and Ami. You missed it, Rei! All those girls were flirting with Mako, and she wasn't disturbed by it at all! She just laughed with them and never once gave them an answer when they asked about a girlfriend. She just said that she was 'looking into some possible partners' – her words exactly!" Minako exclaimed softly. She didn't want Ami and Usagi to hear her across the hall.

Lucky Makoto was in her own room in the main house.

_Close to Kenji… And _Kari_,_ Minako thought, scowling at the girl's name and feeling just the slightest amount of jealousy. _Kenji is pretty cute, but he's a little too into Kari for my liking. I'd be concerned about our future if this whole thing goes down, because he might choose her over me… Not that I would mind, there's plenty of fish in the sea, I just wouldn't have minded getting to know him better…_

_Why am I having an inner monologue about this?_

They heard a door slam, followed by very sharp and insistent knocks. The two, as well as their hall neighbors, rushed to the living room to find a furious Makoto leaning against the door shaking.

"Go away, Kari! I refuse to sleep in that house if you're gonna be like that!" Makoto snapped.

"I won't, I promise! Please, Mako, I'll be good!"

Makoto flipped the locks and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm tired, Kari, and I'm not interested in being your girlfriend! Just give up already, please."

She hadn't noticed the group at the top of the stairs (since the two bedrooms were upstairs), and so as soon as she could, she walked over to the couch and collapsed. A couple minutes later, the door swung open and Kari stormed in.

"Then tell me why!" she demanded.

"I don't have to tell you anything!"

"I think I deserve an explanation."

"You don't-"

"It's because you're in love with someone else, isn't it?"

"Yes! It is! I'm in love with someone else, and it's not you! So shut the fuck up and get the hell outta my face! Stop hangin' on me, and give up!"

"I won't give up, Mako. I love-"

"You love me, huh? Well, Kari," Makoto stood and circled the couch to face her, "I'm not the same Makoto that you knew. I've been through more things than you can imagine, because you haven't the capacity to understand it. There are things that I've done that neither you nor my friends know, because they are just… inconceivable. When you knew me, and every time you talked to me before, I made sure I kept that out, to protect you from it. But I'm sick and tired of your bullshit, Kari! If you can't take a goddamn hint, then fuck you! Now get out and let me sleep!"

Kari was speechless, staring wide eyed and jaw dropped at her friend. The four girls at the top of the stairs were also in shock; they had never heard as many curses come out of Makoto's mouth as they had just heard in that speech.

Finally, Kari snapped out of it and, looking like she was on the verge of tears, nodded, leaving the house. Makoto was shaking, and slowly sat down on the couch, suddenly wishing she had a punching bag, or even Haruka to fight with. There was so much pent up anger flowing through her still that Makoto couldn't even think of lying down to sleep now.

Ami stepped past her friends and started down the stairs, Minako reaching to stop her but failing. The blue haired genius wouldn't be stopped; the girl she was in love with needed someone beside her, supporting her. And Ami'd be damned if she gave Makoto a reason to go back and apologize to Kari and get back on good terms and encourage her again.

"Mako?" Ami asked softly, so she didn't started the tall fighter.

Makoto whirled around, her eyes wide as she realized she'd been caught.

"Mako, what's wrong?"

"Did you… How long have you been up?"

"I heard yelling, and waited until it had settled down."

Makoto let her head bow and shoulders droop; Ami had probably heard her explode. Sure, she'd blown up physically (not literally, though) but never had she verbally attacked anyone that strongly where someone else could hear or see. She was sure that it had scared Ami, and that she wouldn't want to be anywhere near her again after that.

Ami walked closer and put a hand on Makoto's cheek.

"I won't say that I understand everything, but I'm here. I'm on your side, Makoto, for as long as you'll let me. We've fought together through countless battles, and we've gone through so much more together as well as friends and comrades," Ami said. "I'm not going to abandon you, and neither will the others. You don't have to be strong all the time. You can lean on me, on us."

Makoto looked into Ami's eyes and saw the sincerity and concern, and flashed her a tired smile. "Thanks, Ami. I needed that more that I knew I did, I guess."

Ami smiled back, and then was surprised to be pulled into a hug.

"Let's get to sleep now, though, okay?" Makoto suggested. Ami nodded and, with one more caress of Makoto's cheek, she turned and went upstairs. The top of the stairs was empty, so Ami could only guess that Rei and Minako had dragged Usagi away, and the three allowed Ami and Makoto to have a private moment.

_I still have a chance…

* * *

_

**Well, for Calanthe, I hope that was better!**

**Sorry about the last chapter, for those of you who recognized that it was odd or something. There are reasons I'm not allowed to think after midnight... And that was one of them. I wrote this after midnight, too, but that's beside the point! Right?**

**Anyway, so the while writing the last chapter I fell asleep as I was typing, woke up, thought (in my half groggy state) that it all looked fine, and finished it and posted it. I may go back and edit it to try and make it better without removing anything from this or later chapters so that it makes more sense and makes people happy or whatever... but only if I find time after all my schoolwork tomorrow. I'll have some time before I'll have to meet my mum for dinner, so that'll be cool.**

**So... Hope you enjoyed this!  
**


	8. 第8章

**Here's Chapter 8!**

**I wanted it posted Friday (May 8)... =[**

**But I went to see _Stop Kiss_, and then I went to my mom's house, and then there wasn't any signal at my mom's to get on the internet, and now I'm at my mom's partner's nephew's apartment using my mom's partner's computer, and... yeah. I just barely got enough signal at my mom's to upload the story so I could post it now!!**

**I wanted to get this up, and forced the internet to let me have a signal!!**

**Enjoy.  
**

* * *

Makoto was jolted awake by her shoulder and hip connecting roughly to the floor. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her shoulder as she glared at the couch for pushing her off. The couch, of course, did nothing in defense, so Makoto punched it and laid back down on the floor. She gave up on sleep as soon as she woke up two hours previously, which had been the fourth time she had been jostled awake. It didn't help that the sun was now peeking through the window and casting its shadow on the couch.

A few minutes later she heard movement upstairs, and then someone coming down the stairs. Rei emerged a second later, and looked at Makoto strangely.

"I thought you were sleeping on the couch," Rei said.

"Yeah, well, I decided to chill out on the floor for a few hours," Makoto grumbled, not wanting to admit to falling off but not wanting to be nice about it either. She really shouldn't blame Rei, but her dreams and thoughts kept on bringing her back to the dance that Ami and Rei shared at the club. Makoto wanted to get rid of Kari somehow at the table and ask Ami to dance, but Rei had Ami on the dance floor before she could even ask, and Makoto was still a little bitter about it.

"Are you okay, Mako?"

"Peachy. I'm a fucking flamingo."

Okay, so she was still very bitter. And angry, sarcastic, hurt, and a number of other things she just didn't want to admit to herself, jealous being the major one.

"O-kay, I'm sorry I asked," Rei mumbled, turning and going upstairs again. Makoto listened to her walk into one of the rooms upstairs, and then a set of footsteps started down the stairs a few minutes later.

"I'm tired, Rei, so whatever it is you wanna say, please say it and leave me alone," Makoto scowled, her eyes closed.

"I'm not Rei, but you want left alone I'll go," said a sweet, shy, tender, loving voice that Makoto knew so well. It hurt to hear the pain that was in Ami's voice, small though it was, and Makoto immediately shot back into a sitting position just as Ami started up the stairs.

"Wait!" Ami turned around and looked at her. "Please, I'm sorry. It's been a horrible… I mean, I didn't get much sleep, if any. I'm just grumpy and tired and… Please, Ami, come sit?"

Ami looked upstairs where Rei and Minako were watching from her from their doorway. Minako grinned and gave her a "V" for Victory, and Rei nodded. Ami sighed and turned around. Makoto got off the floor, wincing when some muscles that had been pulled and scrunched in odd places overnight resisted the stretching. Her back cracked in multiple places as her spine realigned.

"Makoto, is something troubling you?" Ami asked as they sat down. Makoto sighed and leaned over, resting her head on Ami's shoulder. She was still really tired, and it was only about nine in the morning.

"I suppose that many things are troubling me, honestly," Makoto murmured, already falling back to sleep with the scent of Ami filling her nose. She snaked an arm around Ami's waist unconsciously, snuggling closer. Ami could feel her face warming up, and she looked back at the stairs. She was glad Rei and Minako weren't at the foot watching her.

Ami started combing her fingers through Makoto's hair. "What's sort of things are they?"

"I yelled at Kari last night. I don't share her feelings, yeah, but she's still… I mean, when my parents…" Makoto snuggled closer, her face in Ami's neck, and Ami gasped a little when she felt something wet against her neck. Makoto started to shake a little, sobbing silently. Ami put her arms around her and held her close, rubbing her back in soothing gestures.

They sat like that for several minutes, and then Makoto pulled away and dried her tears. "I'm sorry, Ami. I didn't… I got you all wet. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ami answered with a gentle smile. Makoto returned the smile and stood up, holding out a hand to her to help her up. Ami took it, and stood up. They stood there watching each other for a few minutes, and was crashed back to the present when there was a knock on the door.

Makoto frowned and walked over to the door. Who the hell wanted them this early?

She opened the door, and scowled when she saw Kari.

"I'm sorry," Kari said quickly before Makoto could close the door on her. "I didn't mean to… You're right, I don't know what happened after you left here. But I am willing to listen and learn about it. I want to know about you, Mako. Give me that chance, please?"

"I won't even tell my best friends what happened, Kari; the two people closest to me have no idea what happened before I moved to Juuban. Sure, they know bits and pieces, but they don't know it all. And I don't ever plan on saying anything about it either," Makoto told her. "Now please just go!"

"NO! I love you, Makoto! I want to be with you! You can't just-"

"I can," Makoto snapped. "We'll be at the house for lunch."

The door was shut, and Makoto's shoulders slumped again. Ami watched her stared at the doorknob, and then sighed and went upstairs fairly loudly. Minako opened the door to her bedroom just as Ami slipped by.

Makoto, still standing by the door, had watched Ami run up the stairs, and with a sigh walked to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She had yard work to do, she reminded herself. Whatever was going on with Ami, she'd have to figure it out later.

Ami, on the other hand, thought she had figured Makoto out now, and was on the line between throwing things and breaking down into tears. Usagi was still sleeping soundly, so Ami chose not to scream and throw a temper tantrum. On top of that, she was always perceived as having a level head, so she couldn't just have an emotional explosion just because she was frustrated with Makoto. Besides, how would she explain it? Especially to Makoto…

Ami sighed and shook her head; no, she would do neither. It wouldn't change anything. Makoto would still feel bad for hurting Kari, and would continue to hurt Ami because of what she assumed Makoto's sexual preferences were.

Ami was no feeling good, and decided she would sprawl out of the couch and read a book or something. A romance novel, too, so that she could lose herself in a world where love wasn't unrequited and wasn't confusing because it was between two girls who happened to be best friends and-

She sighed and picked up her book, and went downstairs.

Minako watched Ami go back downstairs with her book, and turned to Rei.

"We _have_ to do something, Rei. At this point, both of them are never going to confess," Minako told her roommate. "We won a battle last night, but we are far from winning the war!"

"Don't worry, Minako. I've got today covered, all right? Just let me handle it," Rei said.

Minako was dubious, but she nodded anyway. Rei had never failed her before, right?

Makoto stepped out of the bathroom a good fifteen minutes after going into the bathroom. She had on a pair of shorts and an A-shirt (Or wife beater, if that's what you call them. I've heard both commonly.), and was drying her hair with the towel as she walked into the living room again. She looked at Ami, who had fallen asleep and had dropped her book on her chest. Makoto smiled and walked over to her, taking the book and putting it on the coffee table, and then covered her with the blanket that had fallen to the floor with Makoto earlier.

She looked at Ami, who was just laying there innocently and she couldn't help but feel like she would miss seeing this every morning. Her fingers brushed aside Ami's bangs, and she planted a gentle kiss on the genius's forehead before she pulled on her socks and tennis shoes for the yard work.

Of course, Kari was standing outside and saw everything.

And Ami, who had felt someone move her book, was slightly awake when Makoto kissed her forehead, and was laying there in her half asleep state confused by the exchange.

Minako and Rei were oblivious to this as they planned their next plot.

Usagi slept through it all, dreaming innocently of marshmallows and pocky, and meatballs and sausages, and ramen, and brownies, and cake, and-

Well, you get the point…

* * *

**I typed this up before midnight for once!!**

**Okay, I _started_ typing it before midnight (about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, to be more precise!), but I finished about two in the morning because I was wide awake at my mom's house and wanted to finish the chapter.**

**Sorry about the delay! It won't happen again!**

**(Which is why I'm not promising to have another one up soon...)**

**Thank you!**


	9. 第9章

**Okay, so I reread some of this, and edited it. Specifically the interaction between Rei and Kari. As soon as I read it, I was like "What the hell was I thinking?" and decided that I might have been half out of it or something, because Kari wouldn't slap Rei... And if Rei had been slapped, she would have turned on the Flames and scorched that bitch!**

**Not literally, of course! Sheesh, I know she's Sailor Mars and all, but still! That doesn't mean she'd attack the Evil that was standing between Ami and Makoto with her Senshi abilities... Honestly!**

**Now that I'm starting to feel back to myself again...**

**Chapter 9!  
**

* * *

Kari was furious. How dare Makoto refuse her, the girl she grew up with and knew her better than anyone, for an introverted brainiac she'd only known for, what, 4 years? 5? She scowled; it didn't matter how long they'd known each other, Kari still didn't believe it.

Kenji was in the living room flipping through the channels on the TV when Kari stormed in.

"Hey!" Kenji greeted her, a huge smile on his face. "I'm getting ready to watch some kiddy cartoons. Want to join me? I think it's a good thing to get in touch with you inner… Kari?"

Kari ignored him and went into the kitchen.

Grandma Akkomi was putting away the freshly washed dishes from breakfast and contemplating the lunch menu as her granddaughter stormed through. Kari never "stormed" anywhere, so Akkomi paused and watched her in surprise as she passed through, grabbing a banana on the way, and went into the dining room.

"Strange… I wonder what's got her so upset," Akkomi muttered. She thought about following her, but knew that Kari would come to her when she wanted her advice, and instead went back to what she was doing.

Kari ignored everything, barely noticing her surroundings until she found herself in the stables standing in front of Yume, her favorite stallion. She brushed her hand over his forehead and down to his nostrils. He's a gorgeous horse with a black coat mottled with red and brown and a white arrowhead on his forehead, which is what Kari was petting.

Makoto walked inside the kitchen and grabbed a banana, kissing her Akkomi's cheek before taking a bite.

"Where's Gramps? I need to help him with the yard," Makoto remembered, looking at Akkomi for answers.

"Hm, I think Yakomu went into town to get some gas for the two lawn mowers. If you want, go ahead and start on the garden. If there's anything ready to be picked, go ahead and bring it in so I can get it washed and put away."

"All right."

Makoto finished her banana and started for the garden behind the house.

Rei decided to take a walk across the yard, and then the stable caught her eye. With a bit of a mischievous grin, she walked towards it.

'I wonder if we can go for a ride this afternoon…'

She walked into the stable, and was thrown off at the sight of Kari petting one horse. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to her. If nothing else, Kari _was_ a friend of Makoto's, so it would only be polite to talk to her.

"Hey, cool horse," Rei said, coming up beside Kari.

Kari glanced over at Rei and frowned, sizing her up. "Yeah, his name's Yume. I helped train him from a colt. He was the first horse I ever rode on my own, without supervision."

"How old is he?"

"He's about 2 years old. I was scared of horses growing up. It wasn't until Makoto came out for the summer a couple years ago that I decided to give them a chance. She wasn't scared of them at all. Sometimes, I think she's not scared of anything, you know?"

"She does tend to act like she isn't."

They were quiet for a while, petting Yume and just standing in companionable silence.

Then Rei thought of something.

"Say, you've got a thing for Makoto, don't you?"

Kari started, looking at Rei with suspicion, and asked, "What if I do? Are you gonna hate me too?"

"Too? Who else hates you?"

"Well, the brainiac for one."

"Ami. Her name's Ami," Rei mumbled.

"She likes Makoto, too, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does. We've been through a lot together, and it caused us all to get really close. I guess, somewhere along the way, Ami just realized that she felt more for Makoto than just companionship or friendship."

"I don't like it."

"No one is asking you to, but that doesn't mean we approve of your methods and hurting Ami. Makoto is an independent person, and she can make her own choices in this matter. If she says no, it would only be right to respect that."

"She doesn't know what she wants. I just… I love her, and I want to show her that."

"You can show her without forcing a relationship on her."

Rei watched Kari fume, knowing she had upset the girl.

"You have no right to claim that I'm forcing something on her! I would never force Makoto into anything!" Kari snapped.

"All right, all right. I'll believe you," Rei said, "but only after you've proven to me that you'll let Makoto make the choice. I don't care if you flirt with her, compete with Ami, or whatever you think is necessary. But if you try to hurt Ami, Makoto, or any one of my friends, or if you try to push Makoto into a relationship with you again, you'll be dealing with me. Do you understand?"

"Whatever. Just get the hell away from me."

"Not until you agree. These are my friends, Kari. They're important to me."

"Whatever. I agree, okay? Just go away!"

Rei, although not entirely satisfied, turned and stormed out of the stable, forgetting that she had originally gone up to Kari to try and be nice for Makoto's sake.

Makoto brought in what was ripe and ready to pick, and just in time for Yakumo to return.

"Hey, Gramps. I'm ready to mow!"

"Actually, Makoto, I'm having Kenji help me with the yard work so you can relax with your friends. It's your summer vacation, right?"

"It's Kenji's too."

"Yeah, but he also has free reign of this place anytime he wants to. You only come up once a year, and it's always to mow the yard or tend the garden or help Akkomi with the meals and shopping. Go have fun this summer."

Makoto hesitated, not liking the idea of leaving her grandpa to Kenji, but nodded and walked toward the guesthouse.

"I vote a horse ride!" she heard Usagi exclaim as she opened the door.

"What about horse rides?" Makoto asked with a pleasant grin.

"Rei asked what we should do for the day, so I suggested horse rides. I've never been on a horse before, is it fun?" Usagi asked Makoto, her eyes wide and smile wider. Makoto chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I rather enjoy horseback riding," she admitted.

"Horse riding it is, then!" Minako exclaimed with added enthusiasm. "Ami, let's go!"

"Huh?" Ami asked, looking up from her book from her place on the couch.

"They wanna go horseback riding," Makoto told her. "Would you like to come with us? I know Nene is a pretty calm horse, if you've never ridden before."

"Once… with my father, as a child, but it has been a while," Ami admitted shyly.

Makoto smiled. "Don't worry. I'll ride right beside you."

Minako, Rei, and Usagi shared a conspiratorial grin.

'Bullseye,' they thought to themselves.

* * *

**Hope that looked better. It was mostly the same, I know, but I wanted to try and fix up that conflict and add on a little bit at the end that would cause you guys to cling to my every word in the next chapter!**

**Okay, so not really. I just felt bad that Ami had no Makoto interaction... Thus - the added ending.**

**Yeah.**

**Thanks!  
**


	10. 第10章

**Okay, I finally got another chapter out.**

**This is my second draft. The first had a really nice, but childish scene in it and I wanted to show a little... Well, read it first. I should really stop talking to you before the chapters, honestly...**

**Disclaimer: The horses are mine. And so is Kari, and Kenji. No one else is.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

In the stable, Kari was starting to saddle up Yume when the five friends walked in. She smiled at Makoto, and avoided everyone else's eyes.

"Going for a ride?" she asked.

Makoto stepped onto a stepladder jumped over one of the stable doors, giving Kari a "yes" as she did.

"Nene, Hika, and Muro are out in the pin, grazing. Yogi, Ustugi, Reku, and Mori have already been out," Kari told her.

"Great, thanks. Um, would you mind going and getting Nene and… Hika? I want to put Usagi on Hika. She's never ridden a horse before, and I know Hika is our gentlest."

"Who are you putting on Nene?"

"Ami, unless she decides she wants to ride Reku?" Makoto asked the blue-haired girl as she led Yogi out and saw Ami petting Reku over the stable door.

"He seems so…"

"He's dangerous still. Grandpa still hasn't gotten him broke in yet. You might be better off with Nene, or Mori," Kari said, finishing the straps on Yume's saddle. "Usagi, you've never been on a horse, right?"

"Nope! No horses for me!" Usagi said. "Are you gonna teach me?"

"Yeah, sure. Come here, and I'll let you learn how to mount and dismount real fast."

"Actually, Kari, let me teach her. I trust you and all, but Usagi's liable to fall off or something before she gets settled in the saddle. I'll show her," Makoto said. "Show Minako and Rei, though, all right? I don't think it's been a while for them, but they haven't exactly said anything yet."

"Actually, I've, uh, never ridden a horse either," Minako said with a little laugh. Kari sighed and motioned the two over.

"Usagi, come here," Makoto said. "You may as well too, Ami, so that you can get this little tutorial."

Ami walked over, and Makoto explained the saddle and helped them mount and dismount a few times, and then went out and got Nene and Hika while Kari helped Minako and Rei with Yogi and Mori, before helping Ami and Usagi with Nene and Hika while Makoto got Reku ready.

"If he's so dangerous, why are you riding him?" Minako teased.

"He needs to be taken out with the other horses so that he can learn. On top of that, he's a proud stallion; you can't just work him into submission, you've gotta earn dominance from him," Makoto said gently, mounting Reku and easing him into a bit of a walk to get him limbered up.

"Kind of like you, eh?" the blond teased with an elbowing gesture. Makoto chuckled, and let Kari lead them out of the stable.

Kari was fighting the urge to race off, knowing Makoto would have ended up coming after her, but she also knew that if the others got lost or if a horse got skittish, then it'd be all her fault and Makoto would feel awful. Of course, Kari knew the brunette wouldn't blame her, but she would still feel guilty. And besides, whether she liked it or not, she did promise Rei that she'd be nice to them. It wasn't all of their fault that Mizuno had stolen Makoto from her.

The group took the horses at a trot across the back yard, and into the surrounding trees, Makoto taking the lead at the edge but making sure that she was close to Ami as well just in case Nene got finicky. Rei and Minako were with Usuagi, and Kari was keeping an eye on them as well, so she felt all right taking the lead. Besides, she was the one who knew her way around these woods better than anyone, since she used to spend hours out here as a kid just wandering through the trees.

They rode through, chatting comfortably and laughing every once in a while. Even Kari seemed to lighten up and enjoy herself.

"Mako, I'm getting hungry…" Usagi said suddenly, which caused everyone else to notice their own hunger. Makoto looked at her wristwatch.

"Shit! Grams'll have lunch ready soon!"

"Let's go home, then," Kari said, turning her horse back the way they came.

Makoto chuckled. "Don't go that way, Kari, it'll take too long. Just follow me, and I'll get us to the right place in no time."

"Mistress Nature Girl! We are at your command!" Minako and Usagi exclaimed.

The group laughed and Makoto started leading them in the right direction.

Rei moved next to Kari and let her horse maneuver beside her.

"You seem to be making an honest effort to get to know us."

"Well, I guess you guys aren't too bad."

"And Ami?"

Kari wouldn't answer. Instead, she just bowed her head and looked away.

"Well, so long as you don't do anything to her."

They reached the edge of the trees, and Minako shouted "race," which caused Kari to chuckle and catch Ami's eye. Ami saw the challenge and nodded, waiting until Kari was right beside her before the two of them urged their horses into a run, side by side.

Makoto started to tell them to slow down, but the words fell on deaf ears.

"What, are you gonna let them show us up?" Minako asked, winking at Makoto. "Ride on, horsey!"

"Wait for me!" Usagi cried as Minako raced off, and then hurried after her.

"It's no fun if you don't try it," Rei said, coming up beside Makoto, who just shook her head with a little chuckle. "Everyone else paired up… You ready to go?"

Makoto sighed and shifted in the saddle before smirking. "I think the question is, are _you_ ready?"

Rei laughed, and they picked up speed to follow their friends.

In the stable, Kari and Ami were staring each other down, and Minako and Usagi were laughing at them. Makoto dismounted and sent Rei a questioning glance. Rei responded with a shrug, so Makoto walked up to Minako.

"What are they doing?"

"They tied, so they're settling it with a staring contest," Minako explained.

"Why does it matter who wins?"

Minako looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Are you re

ally _that_ blind?"

"Huh?" Makoto was really confused; what did her eyesight have to do with Kari and Ami?

"Food time, girls!" Kenji exclaimed, walking into the stable. "Are you hungry?"

Kari and Ami ignored him, both of them so close to losing that they just couldn't give up yet.

"Their eyes are gonna hurt _so_ much later…" Kenji muttered. "Well, let's get these horses naked and let them rest out in the pen before we go inside for lunch."

"Sounds like a plan, and it's better than standing here watching this," Rei mumbled.

Minako smiled and stepped up next to Kenji. "I'll help you, Kenji."

Kenji smiled at her and they walked over to Mori. Usagi and Rei turned to Hika.

Makoto, however, didn't stop watching the two dueling girls. Minako's words were ringing through her brain.

_What am I not seeing? Ami and Kari, competing… Ami and… Oh, my God…

* * *

_

**:D**

**I feel a little evil now... (evil laugh) I REALLY wanted to have a short little competitive scene between Kari and Ami, and I don't think I'll let it end there. I just don't know what other fun things my mind will be creating. I mean, we're still in a War, even if Switzerland has finally figured out what the hell's going on and could come out of neutrality at any moment...**

**Okay, that was a horrible attempt at a funny... But I'm gonna keep it anyway!  
**

**I think I'm gonna wrap it up in a chapter or two. After I go back through the story, touch it up a little, and create a timeline. Who knows, I may get one, two, three... six... more chapters in before I stop.**

**But I'm excited! This will be the first fanfiction I've ever finished! And the second I've ever posted... The first was, uh...**

**Yeah...**

**I think long exiting speeches need to go too...**

**Thank you!  
**


	11. 第11章

**Chapter 11!!**

**I had, like, a whole lot of time this weekend, so this has been edited a couple times. And I reread the first 10 chapters too, so I realized a lot of things that I forgot and I think I started to point some of that out to myself during this chapter... Or was it the next one? I don't remember...  
**

* * *

Lunch was ready when the group of girls walked back into the house. Kenji and Yakumo were already served and chowing down, and Akkoku smiled at the girls when they filed through the kitchen to head for the dining room with the boys.

"Kari, Makoto, help me out will you?" she asked, handing them some food.

At the table, however, there were two different types of conversations going on, verbal and mental. Rei and Minako were arguing over who won the staring contest earlier between Kari and Ami, and Ami was watching Makoto and Kari interact in the kitchen.

_They move around each other with such ease. It's like watching us as Sailor Scouts moving during a youma attack, with fluid precision without words, never needing to know where anyone was because we are all so close and in tune with each other. Makoto is the same with Kari._

Ami had gone beyond just playful competition, and was trying to figure Kari out now to learn more about her and Makoto. If she could figure out what was making Kari so adamant about winning Makoto, and what was making Makoto so sad about denying her, then maybe she could find a solution that ended up with her own confession without Kari being hurt and Makoto…

She shook her head. Her thoughts ran away without her again, and they were bringing up hopeful thoughts that would probably never happen. Makoto would never return her feelings; she's too boy crazy, and Ami had heard her tell Makoto tell Kari she wasn't interested.

Ami studied Makoto then. She said she wasn't interested; does that mean she's not interested in Kari, or not into girls in general? Ami could have chance, if it's not the latter. But is it worth the heartache if it is?

She nodded her head; it was worth it, because there's still that chance, and Ami loved Makoto enough that she would take that chance if the brunette could possibly return those feelings. She would just need to gain the courage for it first.

"She did not win! Ami sneezed, so it doesn't count!" Minako said loudly, catching Ami's attention. "Kari was about to blink, she was _so_ close, and would have lost if Ami hadn't sneezed!"

"Kari was holding off a lot better than Ami was at the time, if you'll recall," Rei pointed out. "Even if Ami hadn't have sneezed, she wouldn't have held on much longer. Kari would have been able to hold out just long enough to win."

"You're just upset because you have to take me out one night," Minako leered, teasing her raven haired friend. Rei's face reddened, though whether it was from embarrassment or anger is still to be determined.

"No! I just… I mean, they both blinked at the same time, because of the sneeze, so… Well, the bet is null now, right?" Rei mumbled.

"Well, we determined it was tie, so… Either you guys both pay up, or yes, it is null," Makoto answered, sitting between Kari and Ami. Both girls shared a quick glare before they looked away from each other and concentrated on everything else.

"What was your end of the deal, Rei?" Usagi asked. Makoto didn't hear the answer, she was too busy watching the girls on either side of her. She had noticed them look at each other, but hadn't noticed the looks they gave each other. She frowned and started eating silently, listening to her own inner monologue.

_Kari and Ami… Well, I guess that could explain Ami's attitude toward me recently. I mean, if she does in fact like girls. And Kari? Well, if she likes me that would explain her hostility toward her. But, Ami isn't usually so competitive like that! Why would she suddenly decide to compete with Kari so openly? Especially if she's got a thing for her… It doesn't make any sense! Well, unless she was trying to catch Kari's attention, but Kari was paying too much attention to me again… But still, it's Ami for Kami's sake!_

Makoto stumbled over her own thoughts of what she had determined was now a love triangle, with Ami trying to catch Kari and Kari trying to catch her while she loved Ami. She totally missed the discussion of what the plans for the day were.

"Then it's settled," Kari said, glancing at Ami.

"Huh?" Makoto asked, coming back to Earth. "What's going on?"

"Where have you been, Mako? Jupiter?" Minako teased, earning a light smack and a glare from Rei. Usagi giggled at them, but took pity on Makoto.

"We're going swimming in the pond! It's big enough, and there aren't any fish or anything in it so we won't even disturb any animals there!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Which, of course, means a shopping trip!" Minako added excitedly. "Rei, Usagi, and I didn't bring any swimsuits. Ami said she always has a swimsuit, just in case, and Kari said she already has one here. Do you need one, Makoto?"

Makoto frowned in thought. She had one, sure, but… Well, now it looked like she would have to compete with her best friend for Ami's attention, and the suit she had wasn't exactly the most eye-catching of things. And water was Ami's element, so she couldn't just excuse herself if she was going to subtly win her over. The question was, did Kari know about Ami's attraction? Would she be wearing something eye-catching? It'd been so long since the two of them swam together, Makoto didn't even know what sort of suit style she liked anymore. Then again, she could say the same thing about Ami…

"Who all is going shopping?" Makoto asked. "It'll determine whether we take the van, or Grandpa's car."

Rei, Minako, and Usagi raised their hands.

"I'll relax and read my book until you return," Ami said.

"I guess I'll stay, so you can take the car comfortably. There's really no reason for me to go along," Kari said in a bored tone of voice. "It'd be pointless to go for the fun of it and then have to take the van."

"Here, Makoto," Yakumo said, setting the keys down beside her. "Don't be stupid with her, all right? She's my baby."

"I know Gramps. I'll be careful," Makoto said with a nod.

"All right, now that that's settled, let's go!" Minako exclaimed, jumping up, Usagi right beside her. They began to chat excitedly, and Makoto shared a pained look with Rei. If it weren't for the fact that someone had to drive, and someone had to keep an eye on each of them (reasons for two of them) they probably would have backed out of the trip right then and there.

The two excited blonds ran outside, and Makoto and Rei followed a little more slowly.

"You know, Kari might have a spare suit that you might fit in," Makoto mumbled just loud enough for Rei hear. "And I technically have one somewhere here…"

"Yeah, but someone needs to keep them out of trouble, and I'd feel better if it wasn't just me," Rei replied calmly. "Besides, how bad can it be?"

Famous last words…

* * *

**Okay, so since I was camping, I've got this chapter, the next chapter, and a third chapter done... Yeah. I had lots of bored free time... There might even another chapter... I just need to check and maybe finish it...**

**So, yeah... I'm gonna go upload those chapters now...  
**


	12. 第12章

**And Chapter 12!**

**I'm really uber excited, you know? Massive chapter uploading!!  
**

* * *

Three hours later, the girls returned from the shopping trip, Minako and Usagi just as excited as when they left, and Makoto and Rei looking like they'd rather be sleeping instead of getting ready to go swimming. However, they changed anyway and soon brightened at the idea; it was getting rather warm, and swimming would be a great way to cool off.

Makoto was the last to show up at the pond, having stood in front of the mirror for a good ten minutes before she put on a pair of shorts over the bikini that Minako and Usagi picked out for her. Then she stood there for another five before she slipped on one of her T-shirts as well. No need to reveal the new piece too soon.

Besides, stripping down would be half the fun.

Finally, she walked out to the pond to find everyone waiting for her, including Kari and Kenji, though the two of them were sunbathing and having a very serious talk by the looks of things.

"We wanted you to make sure the area was safe," Minako said, grinning when she saw what Makoto was wearing and sending Rei an "I told you so" look. Makoto chuckled and pulled off the T-shirt, tossing it aside. She noticed Kari watching her with a lusty smile despite Kenji trying to keep her attention (though, as soon as he saw what she was looking at he didn't mind so much, since he ended up ogling as well), and then glanced at Ami.

Ami was pointedly not looking right at her, a small blush on her cheeks giving away the fact that she knew what Makoto was wearing and how much the bikini top didn't cover (and Makoto had a really great looking upper figure) and that she appreciated the view.

Makoto felt a little better when she saw Ami's response, and nodded.

"I take it you think the pond is unsafe?" Makoto asked Minako.

"Oh yes. See, we weren't sure if there were any stray fish in it somewhere that would attack our poor Usagi's toes," Rei added. She had resolved to whatever Minako had planned with her and decided to help her out.

"Well, as the only one strong enough here to take on any evil fish that may be in the murky depths, I suppose it's up to me to defend you, isn't it?" Makoto clarified (Kenji had tried to say he was stronger, but Makoto ignored him), slipping off her shorts slowly and stepping out of them before stretching (just to see Ami's reaction to the whole suit; her face was bright red, and she had stopped pretending not to be looking at this point) and walked into the water before diving in and resurfacing somewhere in the middle.

"Well, what's your take on the safety?" Rei asked.

"I don't know. I may need a second opinion," Makoto answered with a mischievous grin.

"Ami, why don't you join her? If there's anything there then you'll be able to identify it more quickly so that Makoto can defeat it easily," Minako suggested. Ami, still not through blushing and knowing that Minako was probably up to something, glared at her before she also got into the pond and dove under. However, what she hadn't noticed was that Makoto had already gone under as well.

Ami resurfaced about where Makoto had been previously and looked around.

"What happened to Mako?" she asked.

"She went under just before you did and never came back up," Rei told her.

"Oh no! What if Makoto has been taken captive! Rei, you need to help her!" Usagi exclaimed, getting way too into the game.

Of course, so were her other senshi…

"As you command, my princess!" Rei said galliantly before running into the water. She dove it, and then resurfaced shortly, halfway to Ami, flailing her arms. "Ah! I've been caught! Someone save me from the evil monster!"

"Don't worry, Pyro! I'll save you!" Minako piped in, running in before she realized that Ami was also already under at this point. She dove in, and noticed that Rei was free, and Ami had her arms around Makoto's waist, pushing her away from Rei and up to the surface. With a bit of a grin, Minako resurfaced right up against Rei.

"You took too long," Rei teased her. "Ami already saved me!"

"She's also taking care of the evil that has taken Makoto's body captive, I'm sure. That or she was voluntarily taken captive," Minako replied quietly with a little giggle. "Last I saw, Ami was swimming away with Makoto."

"Is it safe now?" Usagi asked, still keeping up the game but also getting impatient. She really wanted to get into the water too.

"Once Makoto resurfaces, it will be," Rei answered, just before she resurfaced with Ami almost at the other side of the pond. Usagi ran in and swam to her two closet senshi before jumping into Rei's arms. "Hey!"

Usagi was dumped unceremoniously into the water, and a water fight ensued between the three of them.

With Ami and Makoto, though, a whole different conversation was taking place.

"Are you into Kari?" Makoto asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Ami replied, caught off guard.

"You guys have been getting really close and stuff, and I just… I don't know, it was probably just a weird thought during one of my half asleep moments…"

"No, I'm not into Kari. I'm… interested in someone else," Ami answered quietly.

"Yeah? Well, that's probably a good thing. Kenji's got this big crush on her. Though, he does seem to like Minako too, so maybe that'll change. And Rei's been getting close to Kari, so that's… What about Rei? You aren't into her are you?"

"Why are you suddenly so interested?"

The water fight got more intense as Kenji joined in to protect Usagi from the double team that consisted of Minako and Rei, and so that pulled Kari in on his side.

"We should go help out, shouldn't we?" Makoto asked, motioning toward the water fight. Ami noticed the subject change as an avoidance technique, but chose not to call Makoto out on it. She would tell her soon enough, and that was enough for Ami.

"Probably, but which team would we join? We should technically be protecting our princess from the traitor senshi that were ensnared by the evil water monster that took you captive earlier, but she seems to be fairly well protected by the two mortals."

"You've got a point. I mean, what good would we do on either side, eh?"

"I'm sure we would do none."

"And I'd hate to betray you, so I can't choose a team, because then you would be obliged to even the odds and choose the other. I'm supposed to protect you too, you know." She pointedly didn't look at Ami during this, knowing that if she did her eyes might betray some hidden emotion inside of her that she wasn't to admit to yet.

"Yes. Well, then… I suppose we'll just leave them be with their fight."

"So would you like to get out of here with me?"

Green eyes met blue then, and with a shared smile they swam for the edge of the pond and walked around to the towels and Makoto's clothes. Only Minako and Kari noticed them leave, and their eyes met for a brief second before Kari sighed and tackled Rei's back with a war cry. Minako grinned and continued her liquid attack on Kenji, who was in front of Usagi, who was attacking Minako every once in a while from behind him.

* * *

**Yeah, I think I'm almost done...**

**In case you can't see that for yourself.**

**But I thought I'd point that out. Maybe 3 more chapters... I don't know yet.  
**


	13. 第13章

**Well, here's the last one for the day. Unless I really did finish chapter 14, but I won't know until I open up the document and look it over.**

**But I'm pretty sure this is it...  
**

* * *

Makoto had stopped at the main house to get a quick shower and put on some dry cloths, while Ami went on to the guest house. In her room, Makoto put on a pair of cargo jeans, a fairly tight green T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into its trademark ponytail after it had been brushed through, and then Makoto looked herself over, turning away to walk to the guesthouse with a nod.

Ami showered quickly and dressed in a pair of formfitting jeans and a blue button-up V-neck blouse with a black vest and chose to wear a pair of black flats as well. She brushed through her hair and then sat waiting patiently on the couch.

A rather loud engine pulled up close, and then quieted a little as it idled, and then Makoto walked it with a helmet under her arm and another on her head.

"I want to show you something. Would you mind if we took the motorcycle?" she asked cautiously. Ami smiled softly and walked over to her, taking the helmet.

"I trust you to keep me safe," Ami replied quietly. Makoto grinned and helped her put the helmet on before taking her hand and leading her outside. They mounted the bike, Ami sitting up close to Makoto and putting her hands around her waist tightly, savoring the feeling as she waited for Makoto to start driving so that she could lean into the tall brunette's back without any suspicions. Until then, she was just fine feeling the muscles of Makoto's abdomen through her shirt.

Makoto felt Ami put her arms around her waist and felt her entire body start to come alive. She gulped and forced down the thoughts that were surfacing, and revved up the engine before putting it into gear and moving forward. Ami leaned into her back, and Makoto concentrated on the path she was going to be taking ahead instead of their closeness.

As they pulled away, they missed their friends witnessing them leaving, big grins on their faces.

"How much do you wanna bet we'll find them in Makoto's bed in the morning?" Minako asked Rei.

"Uh-uh, I'm not making any more bets with you!" Rei exclaimed. "If I do, I'm sure that a date will be the least of my worries for payment."

Minako just laughed as Usagi shook her head; it was hard to believe that the two of them weren't together either sometimes…

Makoto drove down the street, passing several ranches before coming to a stop at one, pulling into the drive and parking. Ami reluctantly released her and got off so that Makoto could get up. They removed their helmets as a woman walked out of the house.

"I thought you said you'd never get a chance to drive that monstrosity?" the woman asked. Makoto laughed and walked over to hug the woman. "And who's your friend? Don't be rude this time and forget to introduce us!"

"I was going to, if you'd given me time," Makoto teased her. "This is Ami, my best friend. Ami, this is Kari's mother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ami told her politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, young Ami. And since Makoto's not polite enough, I'll tell you. My name's Rikuta, and if you try to call me anything but that I'll be forced to give you my two cents," Rikuta told Ami. Makoto chuckled.

"I would have mentioned your name, but I know how much you love to tell people that," she said. "Anyway, we came to go check out Father's tree house. Is it still there?"

"Yes it is! I make Hiro go out and check on it every month to make sure the wood is still good and doesn't need replaced, and to do any repairs that may need done. Your father was far too proud of that for us to let it just fall apart, you know. He hoped you might bring back any family and let them enjoy it too one day. This house is yours, after all."

"Yeah, I know. Who knows how the future looks. Right now I need to get through cooking school."

"Your mother would be proud of you, you know. I can't tell you enough how worried Hiro and I were after the accident when you kept getting into those fights at school… We didn't think you'd make it through school."

"I met some great friends at Juuban, including Ami."

The two shared a silent conversation, and then Rikuta smiled and turned to Ami.

"Well, I'm glad someone tamed her," she said softly with a wink at Ami. "I'll leave you to your business. Before you leave, though, I want you to come inside so that I can send something back to Kari. She forgot it in her haste, and I want to make sure she doesn't continue without it."

"We can do that," Makoto agreed with a nod.

Rikuta turned and went inside, and Makoto turned to Ami.

"Ready?" Ami nodded, and slipped her hand into Makoto's when she offered it. They walked behind the house and into the trees. They weren't as deep as the ones at Makoto's grandparent's house, but they were still as thick. If it weren't for Makoto, Ami would have been lost after a few feet in.

Makoto led her about ten feet before they came across a clearing with one tree in the center, a large tree house held inside its branches.

Ami looked at Makoto, who grinned at Ami and let go of her hand before running to the tree with a quick "com on" aimed toward the genius. Ami laughed at Makoto before hurrying after her. They climbed up into the tree house, Makoto up first so that she could help Ami get up into the building, and then they looked it over.

Makoto watched Ami, waiting for a response. It had been years since she'd been out here, but this was also the first time she'd ever showed it to someone new. And she had wanted to show Ami, and had thought of it while she had been in the shower. The tree house was special to her, and so was Ami, so she wanted them both to know each other. Plus, this was her special place with her father, and so it was almost like introducing Ami to him in a way, since she couldn't actually physically introduce them.

"It's so beautiful," Ami said after she had looked the entire place over. "The craftsmanship is easily noticeable. The carpenter knew what he was doing."

"He was an engineer, professionally, but he had dabbled in carpentry for years before he settled down. When his first child was born, he started drafting plans for a tree house, and then started working on it. He had one of his wife's best friends con her husband into helping him, which got them to being close friends, and they cleared out the area and used the wood from the trees to build what they could, and used processed lumber for the rest," Makoto explained. "He wanted to give his daughter a haven, and a place for just the two of them."

Ami put a hand on Makoto's arm, and their eyes met.

"This is the place where I have always felt closest to him, even after the accident, even now as we stand here. We would spend hours up here together, even sleeping up here on the weekends and when the weather was nice."

Makoto reached up and unlatched a part of the roof, pulling it open.

"We watched the stars together when we did that."

"He sounds like an amazing guy," Ami said. Makoto smiled and put an arm around her.

"He is."

* * *

**So there's some history for you. I had a random tree house problem while I wrote the last, like, 4 chapters, and then this popped up out of nowhere when I was writing the chapter. Of course, reading this again, I think I did manage to finish chapter 14... So you'll probably get another chapter soon...**

**Yeah...**

**I'm tired.  
**


	14. 第14章

**Be happy! This is the last chapter for the day!**

**And no, this isn't the end.**

**That comes in the next chapter... or maybe the one after that... or something...**

**Yeah, I'm having trouble convincing myself to end this. In case you can't tell...  
**

* * *

It was dark before Makoto and Ami returned back to the house, especially after stopping by the house to get whatever it was that Kari had left. Since Hiro had come home while they were out in the tree house, he wanted to catch up with Makoto as well, and they stayed for dinner.

Back home, they found everyone in the theatre watching a movie (though they hadn't actually gone down there; Akkomi and Yakumo had informed them of their whereabouts).

"Want to join them, or go to guest house and watch our own?" Makoto asked. Ami looked up at her and bit her lip. She wanted some time alone with Makoto, but she didn't want the others to think that they had been ditched or something. "Or there's a small TV in my room, if you'd rather watch one up there."

"I'll just let you lead me," Ami answered, though the thought of curling up next to Makoto on bed cuddling together and watching a movie (all innocent, of course), was rather appealing to her.

"Then let's go upstairs. I know after all the excitement today I'm a little worn out," was the decision. "Not tired exactly, but a relaxing evening alone sounds very appealing right now."

Ami let Makoto lead her upstairs to her room, and she was surprised by the setup. The room was painted a deep ocean blue on two walls – the one opposite the door, and the one with the closet. There was full sized bed with black bedding between the two windows on the opposite blue wall. Just above the dresser on the wall between the windows and closet was a mounted TV stand and TV with a VCR and DVD player hooked up to it. The closet was open, revealing a rather masculine clothing selection – baggy jeans and T-shirts taking up most of the room. It just didn't seem to be very Mako-ish.

"Seems weird, doesn't it?" Makoto asked, noticing Ami's hesitation to enter and the look she was giving the room. "I wasn't always like I am now. I guess in a way it was my old Sempai that did it, but… Well, it wasn't entirely him who changed me. Kari and Kenji played a part, and some of my old friends did as well. Well, when I did have friends, I guess. There were a lot of things that happened before I went to Juuban that I never told anyone."

"Having friends means that you don't have to carry the burden alone anymore," Ami said softly, walking up to her. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what you tell me."

Makoto smiled softly and nodded. "I know, Ami. I'm not ready yet, but… Well, when I am you'll know. I want you to help me, to be the one that's there for me."

They stood like that for a moment, and then Makoto chuckled.

"They're gonna come and drag us away if we don't get settled in with a movie soon, you know," she pointed out, walking away and opening a drawer of the dresser. "My movie selection isn't too grand, since I was a kid when I lived here. It's all anime, really."

They chose _Love Hina_ as their video of choice and let it get started while the two of them settled onto the bed. Makoto sat against the headboard and pillows, and Ami leaned against her with Makoto's arm around her.

That was how they were found several hours later when Usagi suddenly wondered where they were and whether they had returned yet.

"See, I knew I didn't want to take that bet," Rei whispered to Minako as they looked into the room. The movie was finishing up the credits on the TV, so Kari walked in to turn it off and find the spare blanket in the closet. She tucked them in, making sure that at least Ami was covered entirely knowing that Makoto would have preferred it that way, and then pushed everyone from the doorway so she could shut the door and let the couple sleep in private.

"They look so cute together," Usagi said with a dreamy sigh.

Rei glanced and Kari, surprised to see her nod in agreement. Turning to Minako, she felt her surprise melt into confusion as she noticed Minako's mischievous grin.

"So, Rei, do you think we've almost won this War on Love?" she whispered.

Rei sighed and shook her head. "They haven't confessed yet, I'm sure. By tomorrow night, though, if we haven't had any word to say that they're together, then I suppose we won't have yet."

The group left the hallway then, and went back to the theatre to watch more movies with Kenji.

Back in the theatre, Kari bit her lip when she saw Kenji and glanced at Minako. She had joined her two friends on the longer couch, leaving Kenji alone on the other couch. After seeing someone else interested in him, Kari was surprised to find that she was a little jealous of Minako, but she wouldn't admit it to herself until she resolved at the pond to allow Makoto to make her own choice on who she wanted to be with.

Kenji had always been faithful, despite his slightly lecherous ways, and his feelings for her had never faltered until Minako came around. Besides that, it seemed like there may be something between the blond and the raven haired beauty, who hadn't escaped Kari's attractiveness radar.

Kenji looked up at her and grinned, patting the spot beside him. Kari hesitated a moment, but walked over after a glance at Minako showed her that the blond was aware of what was going on but didn't care. It was Kari's choice, since she was the one Kenji had liked from afar for so long; Minako had been a potential, though attractive and interesting, alternative. So it didn't bother Kari to sit next to him. The movie was started, and their attention was captured.

However, Kari did notice that Kenji had felt brave enough to put an arm around her shoulders.

Makoto awoke a couple hours later, and before she opened her eyes she had registered the unusual pressure on her side that usually wasn't there when she slept. Her eyes cracked open, and she let out a grin at the sight of Ami leaning into her shoulder and sleeping innocently. It was something she could definitely get used to waking up to.

However, that required admitting that she had feelings for the sleeping goddess next to her, which she wanted to do if not for the fear of losing Ami's friendship if it turned out badly. And what if Makoto had misinterpreted all of Ami's actions so far and there really was no mutual attraction there at all beyond friendship? It would end up being a rather embarrassing turn of events.

With a gentle sigh, Makoto shifted Ami so that she could get up, and then she softly and quietly padded out of the room and out to the back porch to think this over in the fresh air.

* * *

**I'm sad. I mean, they haven't confessed yet. They've done all BUT confess... What the hell have I been _thinking_????**

**I need some psychiatric help... And maybe another chapter...**

**Yeah. Another chapter... But not now. I'm done for now. I think I'll go read other people's fanfictions.**

**You know, for inspiration...  
**


	15. 第15章

**Final chapter! Hurray!**

**Please enjoy!  
**

* * *

Ami turned over in her sleep, trying to find Makoto to snuggle close for warmth but finding only an empty spot on the bed. She cracked open an eye, and then groaned as she sat up.

"Mako?" she called out groggily. Waking up a little, Ami decided to go searching for her.

It was a beautiful night, and so the first place Ami decided to look was outside. She stepped out onto the back porch, and paused, smiling gently to herself as she spotted the tall brunette sitting on the railing and leaning against a post, her back to the door and the moon shining down on her, making her seem to glow. One leg was hanging loosely on the other side of the railing, and the other was drawn up to her chest, her cheek resting on her knee as she looked up at the sky.

This was a rare sight for Ami, since Makoto never really seemed so relaxed and off-guard as she was at that moment, so she leaned against the house and watched her, taking in her friend's entire figure; the lean, muscular arms; the long, slender legs with powerful calves; her taunt, muscular back; her flowing auburn hair… Ami couldn't help but just stand there and admire her, butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her heart rate increasing.

She couldn't help but be in love with such a fabulous creature.

Then Makoto sighed and sat up, leaning up against the post and looking up at the ceiling.

"I wish she knew…" she whispered before sighing again and closing her eyes.

Ami frowned a little, and then shook it off, pushing away from the wall and walking up behind Makoto, slipping her arms around her and resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder.

"Ami? What are you doing up?"

"You were gone, so I came looking for you."

Makoto chuckled at the sleepy grumble, and swung her legs over the rail to stand up beside the water goddess.

"Well, you've found me. Would you like to go back to bed?"

"What were you thinking about?" Ami asked, looking up at her desperately. Makoto gaped, tensing a little. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about. Come on, let's go to bed," Makoto tried. Ami, however, had other ideas, and stepped away, turning and moving into the grass before she looked back at Makoto.

Makoto's breath caught in her chest as she looked at Ami. Her clothes and hair were a little disheveled from sleeping in them, and her head was tilted a little toward the moon, which shone just right on the petite young woman to envelope her in a soft blue-white light. Ami lips were turned slightly to be a cross between a frown and a pout. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her.

"I'll worry about it if I want to, Mako, because it bothers you, and I will always worry about you as well. Is it about Kari still? She's your friend, so it's understandable, but you shouldn't worry about hurting her if keeping her from that pain will only keep you from happiness."

"It's not about Kari. Not entirely," Makoto admitted, sitting on the steps and looking at her feet. "You see, I'm in love with someone else, and I think that person may have feelings for another person. I know how Kari feels, but unlike her I can't even tell the person I love how I feel about them. I guess, I'm jealous of her in that aspect, and because…"

Ami walked up to Makoto and smiled softly, cupping her hand to her cheek and forcing her to look her into the eyes.

"Maybe we should both just admit our feelings to the ones we love; just take the risk, Mako. It's worth it to even just get that off your chest, whether something comes from it or not."

They looked at each other for a few minutes, and then Makoto stood, pulling Ami to her feet. She put a hand on the smaller girl's hip and smiled shyly.

"I want to tell her so much what I've been hiding inside for years, that I'm in love with her with all of my heart and soul," Makoto started softly, "but I've always been too scared. There was and is no way she could love me, another girl."

Ami put a hand behind Makoto's neck and smiled strongly.

"I've been in love ever since I first saw her, surprisingly feeling competitive with a cat for her attentions, but not admitting to myself my feelings until the moment everything seemed so hopeless," Ami said, "but I still could not tell her, not even when it became apparent that we may have to deal with that sort of loss again."

Makoto chuckled and snaked an arm around Ami's waist.

"You look beautiful," she breathed.

"So do you," Ami returned.

"I love you, Ami."

"I love you, too, Mako."

With their feelings out in the open finally, their lips met in a confirmation of their feelings. Makoto held Ami close to her, and Ami let her fingers entangle themselves in Makoto's hair as she tilted her head slightly and deepened the kiss.

Soon, far too soon in their opinion, they pulled away and looked the other in the eyes with a happy little grin as they basked in the beginnings of their future together.

"Awwww!!" four voices cooed from the doorway, jolting the lovebirds from their moment to turn in the direction of the voices. Minako, Rei, Usagi, and Kari were standing there with sappy little grins and teary eyes.

Makoto released Ami, her smile turning into an evil grin.

"You guys…" she scowled.

"Um, now would be a great time to run," Kari suggested.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Usagi agreed as Makoto cracked her knuckles.

"You know, I think that sounds like a plan," Minako stated, starting the chain of the four running as fast as possible through the house and out the front door.

Ami chuckled as Makoto took a deep calming breath and turned back to her.

"What's so funny?" Makoto asked, which caused Ami to break out into full on laughter, which made Makoto start to chuckle. Soon, they were both laughing, Ami leaning into Makoto, who was leaning against the house, to keep them both standing upright.

"You know, it would be our luck that they would have been spying on us, wouldn't it?" Ami asked as she settled down.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Makoto agreed, nodding a little. She looked down at Ami, who grinned up at her, and leaned in for another kiss. This time, they weren't interrupted, and it ended up in the bedroom…

To sleep, of course.

* * *

**Okay, so now that this is over, I thought I'd explain what brought this story on.**

**I was mowing the yard, and randomly the question popped into my head - "What would happen if Makoto disappeared for a few days and the scouts ended up finding out she was staying with grandparents or something out in the country?"**

**Well, obviously it didn't turn out that way, but, well, that was what started it.**

**So when I finished mowing the yard, I turned on my computer and started typing the first chapter... Which led into the second...**

**This wasn't originally going to go past the first chapter if I couldn't get a nice fanbase, but well, it was a nice distraction and I enjoyed writing it so it continued...**

**And loe and behold- here it is!**

**I hope you enjoyed it. I'm leaving some loose ends open, just in case I decide to continue this later, so this may not be the end of this. I don't know. But right now I have a new project started, so if you want to read more of my writing, then go back to the top, click on my name, and go look at my stories. There's a one-shot that you should read, and then the multi-chapter story that is the follow-up of the one-shot.**

**Anyway, I guess this is "ciao" for now!  
**


End file.
